Third dimension animated display device, including movable frames



, Sept. 2 1, 1948. M. sTRAUss 2,449,825

` THIRD DIMENSION ANIMATED DISPLAY DEVICE INCLUDING MOVABLE FRAMES Filed Nov.v 50. 1945 Fler?.

INVENToR MORFUS STRAUSS, i y

, ATTORNEY Spt. 21, 1948. M. s'r'RAuss 2,449,825

THIRD DIMENSION ANIMATED DISPLAY DEVICE INCLUDING MOVABLE FRAMES Filed NOV. 30, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Monms S'rnnuss,

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 21, 1948 f ,2,449,825 s i THIRD DIMENSION ANIMATED DISPLAY DEVICE, INCLUDING MOVABLE'FRAMES Morris Strauss, BrooklymN. Application November 30, 1945, Serial' No. 631,871

` This invention relates to improvements in display devices employedfor advertising, displaying announcements, and forvarious other purposes. "My` invention has particular referencev to a device ofsaid character wherein a series of display M frames carrying announcement or display cards which are automatically moved within ahousing or cabinet, and brought into line with an observation opening in-said` housing or cabinet, to successively expose said frames to view through said' observation opening, and more particularly, my invention relates to a device of the character described wherein the said frames are split into sections which are adapted to move intotwo or more vertical planes.'

' "An 'object of my invention is the means provided in a display device of the character described, for breaking up the picture presentation on the display cards andmoving the separated sections apart, and holding them in vertical planes to present a three dimensional picture to the observer looking through the said observation opening. v v l Another object of my invention is the provision in same, of means for automatically moving the l# saidframes,ca rrying pictorial views or other matter, continuously around a circuit and presenting the said views in consecutive order bef-ore the ksaid observation opening in said housing. f l 1 l `A further object of my invention is the provision therein of asimple means for dra-wing apart thesaid `sectional parts of the display frame and the means employed for restoring the separated parts to their normal position. Another object `of my invention is the means employed therein for carrying and animating an intermediate display cardl andthe means for animating and moving sameinto and out of View. A"A still further object of this invention is the provision of an `organization in which the constituent elements are so arranged structurally and functionally as to assure improvedv results with materials and members which may be manufacf tured at reasonable cost, may be easilyassembled andwhichwilil be eicient in operation with mini- L mum wear to .the parts.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which,` with the foregoing'will be set forth in the following description and in the claims wherein parts will be iden-tied by specific names for convenience, but they are intended to be as generic in `their application to 'similar parts as the art will permit. 1n the accompanying drawings there has been illustrated the 'best embodiment ofthe invention known to 5 Claims. (Cl. 40--v36 me, but. such embodiment 'isV to be regarded as typical only of many possible embodiments, and the invention is not to be limited thereto,

The novel features considered characteristic. of my invention are set forth with particuiarity in the appended claims. The inventionitself, how'- ever, both asfto its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the-foliowing description of a specic embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawings,"in which: y

Fig. 1 is a perspective view oi my device and shows the housing `or cabinet partly ,broken away to disclose `a portion of the operating mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the side oi the casing broken away showing the mechanism with- 1n. l

Fig. 3 is a. sectional planview taken .along the line 3-3 of FligfZ and` looking in the direction indicated by theV arrows.`

Fig. fifis a detail View which will be hereinafter explained.

Fig. Bis an enlarged view of a part of the mechanism which will be hereinafter explained;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view through a part of the display frame and will be hereinafter described, and' l' Fig. 'l isa'de'tail view of a part which will be hereinafterexplained.

In the drawings where two reference numerals are shown and but one part is indicated, the designation indicates that a similar'part is behind, in front or below the part shown and in line with it.

Referringfi'ny detaii to the parts', l'l designates a housing ,or cabinet having airont, a rear and side walls, i2, I3, [t and I5, respectively, `andeJ base lI6; to `which the cabinet is attached. lThe front wall 12E-S provided with a window or observation opening i1." The rear wall I3 may be provided Ywith an access` opening I8, and cover i9 which is attached to the cabinet by means ,of screws 20.' l

Shaft bearings 24, 22 and 23 are attached to thel side walll I4 and providebearings for the sprocket wheels 24, Z5 and 26, respectively.. The said sprocket wheels carry'fan endless chain 21 having, Vat determined intervals thereon, lingers or hooks 2-8 ier the purpose hereinafter explained.

Similar` shaft lineari-rigsi 29, `3ily and 3| are attachedto the side wall l5 but extend inan opposite directionto'provide' bearingstfor the sprocket :wheels 32, fand 34 Vto carry an endlessvchain 35 'having atinter-vals thereon', fingers or hooks 36, for a purpose te be explained. I

Ylatter sprockets engage the chain drives 39 and 40 in turn engaging the sprockets 4| and 4Z upon a, shaft 43. One end of the said shaft 43 is mounted in a bearing 44 on side wall I4 while the opposite end of the shaft^43 is mounted in a bearing 45 upon the side wall I5. A sprocket wheel 46 mounted upon the shaft 43 is driven by means of chain 41 connecting same with a motor 48. y I

Extending across the cabinet near the topof same is a shaft 49 mounted in bearings 50 and I. Extending downwardly and forwardly from the said shaft 49 are the arms 52 and 5,3 and to the lower end of the arm 52 there is attached a stop or holding plate 54 while to the lower end of the arm 53 there is attached a stop or holding plate 54 whose function will be hereinafter explained. Extending from and attached to the said shaft 49 is an arm 55 integral with the said shaft 49 and arms 52 and 53.

Display frames split at 56 to form an upper and lower section 51 and 58, respectively, are held in channel shaped tracks 59 and 6l).v The said track 59 is secured to the side wall I4 by means of bracket members 6I while the track 68 is secured to the side wall I5 by means of bracket members 62. The upper section 51 of said frames are provided on each side with laterally extending pintles 63 and 64 whose function is to suspend the said frames in the channel tracks 59 and 69 and prom vide a pick-up means for the hooks or ngers 28 and 36 upon the chains 21 and 35. The two sections 51 and 58 of the said split frame are joined by a spring and piston device 65 consisting of a cylinder 66, a piston 61, provided with a perforation 61', a piston rod 6B and a spring 69 disposed between the piston and the head of the cylinder 66 (see Fig. 5). The cylinder 66 is pivotally attached at to the lower section 58 of the said display frame'and the pistonr rod .68 is pivotally attached at 1I to the upper section of the display frame. v k l To the lower edgeor rim of the lower section 58 of the display frame there is attached a depending -b-lock 99 having laterally extending pins 9| and 92, two pins being mounted upon each side of said depending block. The said pins carry contact rollers 93 and 94 (see Fig. 1) and the'said rollers 93 and 94 engage under tracks 95 and 96 during a part of the movement of the said display frames around the circuit. The said ,tracks are supported by brackets 91 and 98 exto keep the display card 19 in upright position. The said display frame sections 51 and 58 are formed on three sides with a, channelled member or rim 82 and 83 within which plates or display cards 84 and 85 are held.

One or more electric bulbs 86 may be provided for illumination. The displ-ay in the said display frames and upon the folding member between the split sections may be marked with anyform of advertising matter either pictorial or printed, and the adjacent edges of the parts that meet may be cut with any contour but both such contacting ends must be complementary to form a perfect connection when the parts come together.

To operate the device, the split display frames are set in the channelled tracks to slide to the lower end of same. When the motor is started,

the chains having the fingers or hook thereon tending from the side Walls I4 and I5 respectively. The double pins upon each side are provided to hold the lower section of the frame in upright position while same is traveling in tracks 95 and 96.

- Spacing blocks or strips 12 are attachedto the lower portion of the said lower section. Stop pins 13 and 14 are provided to limit the downward movement of the arms 52 and 53 as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. To and between the top portionof the lower section 58 of the display frame as at 15, and the lower portion of the upper section of the display frame as at 16, there is attached a folding base member 11 adapted to fold downwardly at 18, and carry, attached to it above this point, an upright display card 19;

`to the ends of said display card 19 and the folding will move and the fingers will engage the pintles on the sides of the display frames when the said fingers reach the lower end of the channelled tracks. The chains moving upward will .carry a display frame upwardly to the upper sprockets where the upper surface of the display frame will contact the lifting arm 55, which at this point is in the position shown by the dotted lines. Continuing its movement up and around the sprocket, the contacting upper surface of the display frame will raise the lifting arm 55 to bring the stop plates 54 and 54 out and against the lower section of the display frame to holdit back against movement while the upper section of the display frame moves on to the position shown inkFig. 2.V

The movement of the upper section away from the lower section of the display frame causes the piston members to expand (Figs. 2 and 5) ,against the spring'pressure within the cylinder. As the upper section continues its movement, it passes the attached end of the lifting arm, allowing it, withthe-stop plates 54 and 54 to drop out of the path of the lower section, thus allowingV the rollers 93 and 94 to contact and ride under, the tracks 95 and 96 to hold the lower section 58, of the display frame, in its vertical positionuntil the rollers 93 and 94 pass beyond the end of said tracks 95 and 96. y ,l

When the rollers are free of the tracks, the cylinder connection between the two sections of the display frame will act to 'bring the-lower sec, tion to its normal position undery the upper section, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig.` 5. The pressure of the spring in the cylinder acts to bring the lower and upper sections. together. The perforation in the piston prevents a too rapid movement of the piston through the cylinder during the return movement,

As thevdisplay frame moves along toward 4the rear sprockets, the pintles upon the frames will ride oif the chains and theframe will drop, the pintles engaging in the channel slots to guide the framer down same. The spacer blocks or strips are provided to allow the passage of the fingers or hooks upon the chain and engage the pintles of the next pickup. l ,The action of the folding base member 11, coacting with the end folds and 8l and the split sections 51 and 58 of the split display frame will animate the upright display card 19 and bring it up to view or cause it to disappear when the split sections separate or come together, as `the case may be. .i

Iclaim: y 1. A display device, comprising a housing .por cabinet, having a rear and side walls and a front wall vformed with an observation opening, endless the separated parts of the display frames back to their normal position after the same have passed the said observation opening, and driving means for operating the parts.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein a means is provided for holding a section of the display frame against movement while another section is in movement.

3. The device of claim 1, including a folding base member carrying an upright display card attached to and between the upper and lower sections of the said frames and adapted, when the upper and lower sections of said frames are moved apart, to raise the said upright display card and bring it into View through the said observation opening and to lower the said display card when the two sections of said display frames are brought together.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein spacer strips are provided upon the said frames to afford a means for properly positioningsame so that the said pintles thereon are held in the path of the said hook members upon the chain and are thereby picked up by the said chain.

5. The device of claim l, wherein each section of said frames are pivotally connected upon each side to an end of a cylinder and piston having spring actuating means to normally bring and hold the said sections of the said display frames together.

MORRIS STRAUSS, 

